Chamique Holdsclaw indicted on aggravated assault charge
Shocker?
Back on November 16, we posted the report of Chamique Holdsclaw shooting at her ex-girlfriend, now she has been indicted on the aggravated assault charge which could result in her facing up to 65 years.
A six-count indictment charges Holdsclaw, 35, with aggravated assault, criminal damage and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.Holdsclaw was arrested after an argument with Tulsa Shock player Jennifer Lacy, 29, Holdsclaw’s ex-girlfriend. The two were also Atlanta Dream teammates in 2009. Holdsclaw broke the windows to Lacy’s car and shot at it. No one was injured.
Holdsclaw could face up to 65 years in prison if found guilty on all six counts. She out on free on a $100,000 bond.
High school girls basketball wins game 88-0
Blow The Whistle
Little Rock’s Hall High School in Arkansas shut out J.A. Fair by a comically lopsided score of 88-0 in the varsity girl’s basketball team’s season opener on Monday. The game was over almost as soon as it started, with the Lady Warriors leading 58-0 at the half.
As embarrassing as that sounds, however, it seems the drubbing could have been even worse. According to Little Rock’s CBS affiliate KTHV, Hall head coach Selita Farr refrained from using both a full-court press and a pressure defense in a show of sportsmanship.
At Tuesday’s practice, players insisted that despite the scoreboard’s crooked number, they weren’t actively trying to run up the score.
“We just go out and try to play hard, and the scoreboard, that’s just how it ends up,” senior Tyler Scaife told KTHV.
Farr also pulled her starters just four minutes into the first half with the Lady Warriors already leading 28-0 — though, as Prep Rally points out, this often results in the opposite of the desired effect, with bench players taking advantage of the rare opportunity to fully showcase their own talents.
Chamique Holdsclaw arrested for firing gun at ex-girlfriend
Shocker?
WNBA player and former University of Tennessee basketball star, Chamique Holdsclaw, was arrested after an incident involving her ex-girlfriend Jennifer Lacy on Thursday, according to Atlanta police.
Holdsclaw was arrested Thursday night around 9 p.m. after surrendering to police. She was charged with aggravated assault, criminal damage to property and reckless conduct. She’s being held on $10,000 bail.
Lacy, also a WNBA player, told police that Holdsclaw asked to put some things in Lacy’s car after Lacy left a gym on Tuesday. Holdsclaw then began following Lacy in her car as Lacy drove to meet a friend. Holdsclaw allegedly exited her vehicle, smashed in the windows of Lacy’s Land Rover with a baseball bat, fired a gun inside the vehicle and fled the scene.
Police recovered a 9 mm shell casing at the scene, according to TMZ. Lacy was uninjured but said she felt scared when Holdsclaw was following her, according to the police report obtained by TMZ.
Lacy is a forward for the Tulsa Shock. She issued the following statement through the Shock: “I want to thank my family, friends, fans and Shock family for their concern during this difficult time. I have never felt more love from my fans in supporting me.”
Holdsclaw and Lacy were teammates on the Atlanta Dream in 2009.
Geno Auriemma Wants To Lower Rim For Women
What Happened To Equal Opportunity
Geno Auriemma, who turned Connecticut into a national power in women’s basketball, wants the game to lower its sights.
Auriemma, fresh off coaching a gold medal team in the Summer Olympics, is talking about the stunted growth of the women’s game. He believes fans are looking for ways to push offensive output by lowering the rim “about seven inches” from its present 10-foot height.
“What makes fans not want to watch women’s basketball is that some of the players can’t shoot and they miss layups and that forces the game to slow down,” the coach told John Altavilla of the Hartford Courant.
“How do you help improve that? Lower the rim. Do you think the average fan knows that the net is lower in women’s volleyball than men’s volleyball….Now there would be few missed layups because the players are actually at the rim. Shooting percentages go up. There would be more tip-ins.”
Auriemma says he will propose that the rules committee allow teams to scrimmage with a lower rim, a 24-second clock and and 8-second backcourt rule.
WNBA Star Speaks Out For Gay Marriage
Surprise
Seimone Augustus has always preferred to stay out of the public eye even as her basketball career has taken her to the heights of an Olympic gold medal and a WNBA championship.
With her adopted home state of Minnesota considering a constitutional amendment that would ban gay marriage, the Lynx star is now becoming a vocal proponent of equal rights for gays.
After all, she has her own wedding coming up, to longtime girlfriend LaTaya Varner.
“I felt like it was the perfect time for me, being on a platform where I can make a change with my voice and my situation,” Augustus told The Associated Press. “Maybe inspire someone else to come out and be comfortable with themselves. Or maybe someone else’s parents will see my parents saying that it’s OK to be with your child and love your child unconditionally regardless of your sexual preference.”
Candace Parker’s Husband Angry Over Sparks Final Play
That's My Wife
NBA journeyman Shelden Williams took to Twitter to complain after his wife’s Los Angeles Sparks were eliminated from the WNBA playoffs.The Sparks lost 80-79 to the Minnesota Lynx despite his wife Candace Parkers 33-point, 15-rebound, five-assist and four-block performance.
Parker, who has been married to Williams for nearly four years, immediately took to Twitter to rant how the Sparks failed to put the ball in his wife’s hands as the clock wound down to end the contest.
“How do you have a do or die situation and have the ball and the player who has it going doesn’t even get a look to win the game??”
“Doesn’t make sense!!!! Any other superstar would have the ball in their hands on any other team!!! And this one doesn’t even get a look???”
“This is the stupidest and most selfish act you can do!!!”
“A player who has been carrying the team with the hot hand all game and can’t determine the outcome of the game by giving her the ball??”
“Another testimony of how common sense isn’t so common!!! Ridiculous!!!”
NBA To Consider Selling Ads On Uniforms
Est. 1947
According to the Sports Business Journal the NBA will address the prospect of selling advertising space on uniforms when the league’s board of governors meets in April.
Most WNBA teams already have gone down this path, and wore a Boost Mobile ad patch on uniforms last year.
The Sports Business Journal says a study last year calculated a brand logo on the middle of an NBA uniform could generate more than $30 million in exposure value on television alone.
“I am not suggesting this is an easy issue, but I feel like it is inevitable,” Golden State Warriors president Rick Welts told the SBJ. “We just have to agree on value and what it would look like.”
Mama Margie’s Major Meltdown: Tulsa Shock
Tulsa Shock
Every Thursday Sports Grind Entertainment will present you with the Mama Margie’s Major Meltdown. The recipient of this honor goes to the Tulsa Shock who have lost 19 straight games in the WNBA to drop their overall record to 1-24. Tulsa now owns the leagues record for consecutive losses when the lost to the Los Angeles Sparks at home on Sunday. The Shock had been tied with the Atlanta Dream, who lost the first 17 games of their inaugural 2008 season but now own the record outright. Tulsa will have a chance to end the streak once tonight against the Seattle Storm.
Mama Margie’s Major Meltdown: Tulsa Shock
Tulsa Shock
Every Thursday Sports Grind Entertainment will present you with the Mama Margie’s Major Meltdown. The recipient of this honor goes to the Tulsa Shock who have lost 17 straight games in the WNBA to drop their overall record to 1-22. Tulsa will try and avoid setting a new league record for consecutive losses when they face the Los Angeles Sparks at home on Sunday. Tulsa is tied with the Atlanta Dream, who lost the first 17 games of their inaugural 2008 season.
Kevin Durant 50-50 On Overseas
The Natural
Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant says he is “about 50-50″ on playing overseas if the NBA lockout lasts. The league scoring champion hopes the work stoppage is settled in time for a full season, but says he’ll “have to think about” playing elsewhere if that doesn’t happen.
Durant said this as he attend a WNBA game between Tulsa Shock and Chicago Sky as well as saying he is a “basketball fanatic” who enjoys watching the women’s game.
Marion Jones Cut By WNBA Tulsa Shock
TALENT
Former Olympic gold medal-winning sprinter Marion Jones has been cut by the WNBA’s Tulsa Shock. Jones spent 1 1/2 seasons as a guard for the Shock who had ran track and played point guard at the University of North Carolina in the 1990s. The Shock announced Thursday they had waived Jones to make room for former Oklahoma center Abi Olajuwon.
In her second season, Jones was averaging less than a point per game in 14 appearances for Tulsa, which is a league-worst 1-14 heading into the All-Star break.
“I want to thank the Tulsa Shock, Coach Nolan Richardson, the WNBA and my tremendous teammates for providing me the opportunity to fulfill a dream, and a platform to demonstrate to people, especially our youth, that if you have faith, life is full of second chances,” Jones said in a statement.
She became the second player waived since four-time Olympic basketball gold medalist Teresa Edwards took control of the team from Nolan Richardson. Edwards said bringing in Olajuwon the daughter of former NBA All-Star Hakeem Olajuwon was intended to bring size, defense and rebounding that the Shock are lacking.
Kobe Bryant’s Dad Becomes WNBA Head Coach
Jellybean
The Los Angeles Sparks fired head coach Jennifer Gillom and replaced her with Joe Bryant, father of Los Angels Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant who previously coached the WNBA team. General manager Penny Toler announced the move Sunday night, saying it was necessary to take the team in a different direction.
Bryant previously coached the Sparks from August 2005 through the 2006 season, guiding them to two playoff appearances. He was hired in March as an assistant to Gillom.
The Sparks are 0-5 on their current seven-game road trip and 4-6 overall.
WNBA Gets Violent
At a recent WNBA game things got chippy when Los Angeles Sparks guard Kristi Toliver threw an elbow that landed in the face of Phoenix Mercury guard Ketia Swanier.
NBA.com Removes All Player Images Due To Lockout
Dumbed Down
Earlier this week we posted the report that the NBA was going to go through a drastic change on their website by removing all the players images and videos if the lockout was to go through. True to the NBA’s word at 12:01 EST NBA.com received a massive makeover and removed all it’s current players images and videos from its site. and basically gave it an primitive look.
Over the past few weeks, NBA website administrators and support staff had endured conference calls and countless planning sessions trying to figure out how to eliminate all the photos, highlights, articles relating to the players.
Now NBA.com and team sites are in the business of giving full promotion to the WNBA and collective bargaining news and information.
Former WNBA Player Margo Dydek Passes Away
R.I.P.
Former Silver Stars player Margo Dydek has passed away just a little over a week after suffering a heart attack while pregnant with her third child. The 37 year old Poland born Dydek suffered the heart attack on May 19 and later was placed into a medically induced coma.
Dydek was the tallest player in WNBA history at 7-2 and was nicknamed “Large Marge” by her teammates. She was drafted with the first pick in the 1998 WNBA Draft by the Utah Starzz who later moved to San Antonio and became the Silver Stars.
She is the all-time WNBA leader in total blocks with 877 and blocks per game at 2.72 and seventh all-time with 2,143 total rebounds.
Phoenix Suns President Reveals He’s Gay
Ground Breaking
The New York Times is reporting that Phoenix Suns president and CEO Rick Welts that he wants to break down one of the last significant social barriers in sports and reveled that he is gay. Welts declaration is the latest development on a subject has gained attention in the sports world recently, after Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant’s use of a gay slur on the basketball court and NHL player Sean Avery’s public support of same-sex marriage.
Welts talked to NBA commissioner David Stern, WNBA president Val Ackerman, Hall of Famer Bill Russell and Suns guard Steve Nash before discussing his sexual orientation with a reporter from the Times, the newspaper said. All of them offered Welts their support.
“This is one of the last industries where the subject is off limits,” the longtime executive told the paper. “Nobody’s comfortable in engaging in a conversation.”
The 58-year-old Welts, who began his career as a ball boy for the Seattle SuperSonics, spent several years with Stern in the league office. He was the architect of the All-Star weekend and helped raise the NBA’s profile before leaving for the Suns front office.
WNBA Cappie Pondexter Tweets God Let Japanese Tragedy Happen Cause Of Pearl Harbor
Under Cover Bigot
New York Liberty guard Cappie Pondexter has apologized after causing an Internet uproar with comments on her Twitter account that the Japanese people fell victim to the earthquake and tsunami because of their countries involvement in Pearl Harbor.
Pondexter tweeted: “What if God was tired of the way they treated their own people in there own country! Idk guys he makes no mistakes.”
She later tweeted: “u just never knw! They did pearl harbor so u can’t expect anything less.”
Pondexter also used the racially derogatory term “jap,” when referring to someone who was offended by her comments. The Anti-Defamation League in New York issued a statement on Pondexter’s remarks.
“Cappie Pondexter’s words show the endurance of long-held bigoted and prejudiced attitudes toward the Japanese, even from young Americans in today’s society whose only knowledge of the Second World War comes from history books and popular culture,” Anti-Defamation League national director Abraham H. Foxman said.
“While it is encouraging that Pondexter felt enough remorse to apologize for her insensitive and prejudicial words, the apology did not go far enough. The notion that God would punish an entire country because of some assumed moral or spiritual defect is, in fact, another form of intolerance. Pondexter needs to understand why her words were so painful, and why it is prejudiced to suggest that one people may be inferior to another in the eyes of God.”
Diana Taurasi’s Contract Voided By Turkish Team Cause Of Doping Test
TALENT
WNBA star Diana Taurasi has had her contract terminated by Turkish club Fenerbahce after her “B” sample tested positive for doping. The Istanbul club says the decision was made following the results announcement by the Turkish Basketball Federation. Taurasi faces a ban of up to two years, putting in jeopardy her chances of playing for the United States at the 2012 London Olympics.
Taurasi’s “A” sample tested positive last month for the banned stimulant modafinil following a Turkish league game on Nov. 13. Taurasi had been suspended by Fenerbahce ever since. The Turkish federation, which announced the positive “B” sample result on its website, says there has been no immediate decision on Taurasi’s punishment.
Diana Taurasi Tests Positive For Banned Substance
TALENT
WNBA star Diana Taurasi tested positive for a mild stimulant while playing in a pro league in Turkey, her lawyer told The Associated Press on Thursday night. Howard Jacobs said Taurasi’s “A” sample came back positive from a Turkish lab last week and she was provisionally suspended by the Turkish league she’s playing in. She has already missed three games with her team, Fenerbahce. Jacobs said the substance “was not a steroid or recreational drug,” and that Taurasi has asked that her “B” sample be tested.
“We’re taking it one step at a time,” Jacobs said. “I’d rather not say what it is at this stage, they’ve only tested the ‘A’ sample. Somehow it leaked over in Turkey. We’re waiting for the ‘B’ sample to be tested. We’ve had some difficulty with getting a date so far, mostly because of the holidays. We’re hoping to get it as soon as we can.”
He said he said he didn’t know what the length of the suspension would be, nor was he familiar with the details of the Turkish league’s anti-doping code. He also said said it was too early to know how this might affect Taurasi’s eligibility for the London 2012 Games.
Taurasi served one day in jail and was suspended by the team for two games in 2009 after pleading guilty to a DUI charge.
If Diana Taurasi Can Get Naked For ESPN So Can Amare Stoudemire
Double Standards, Please Get This Man A Towel
WNBA player Diana Taurasi will be on the cover of ESPN The Magazine’s “Body Issue,” which hits news stands on October 8th. It’s a celebration and exploration of the athletic form and features nearly 40 different athletes. One of those athletes is former Phoenix resident Amare Stoudemire. From some reason my anticipation for the issue to hit stands drastically took a turn for letting it pass me by.
Diana Taurasi Gets Naked For ESPN
TALENT
WNBA player Diana Taurasi will be on the cover of ESPN The Magazine’s “Body Issue,” which hits news stands on October 8th. The issue is a celebration and exploration of the athletic form and features nearly 40 different athletes. Taurasi plays for the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA and just lead Team USA to a Gold Medal in the FIBA World Championships.
This issue comes on the heels of ESPN announcing they will be creating a ESPNW aiming towards the female audience that watches or plays sports. The network plans to make ESPNW a new sub-brand that will soon begin as a blog and could end up being its own TV channel.
San Antonio Silver Stars To Face Phoenix Mercury In Western Conference Semifinals
Via Silver Stars Press Release
[Via Silver Stars Press Release]
The San Antonio Silver Stars clinched the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference and will face the No. 2 seeded Phoenix Mercury in the 2010 Western Conference Semifinals, with Game 2 (Round 1, Game A) at the AT&T Center scheduled for Noon on Saturday, Aug. 28.
As per a change in playoff scheduling announced by the WNBA earlier this season, the higher seeded team earns home-court advantage in a 1-1-1 format; San Antonio will travel to Phoenix for Game 1 of the conference semifinals, set for an 8 p.m. CDT tip-off on Thursday, Aug. 26.
The Stars then will return to San Antonio for Round 1, Game A, which also will be $1 Night at the AT&T Center, where fans can enjoy $1 beer, fountain drinks, and hot dogs while taking in an exciting night of Silver Stars playoff action.
The first two games of the series will be broadcast on ESPN2. If necessary, Game 3 will be played on Monday, Aug. 30, with tip-off in Phoenix set for 9 p.m. CDT; NBATV will broadcast the deciding match-up.
Tickets for Round 1, Game A, are on sale now at SASilverstars.com and at the AT&T Center Box Office starting at $10. For more information on 2010 Silver Stars playoff tickets, visit www.sasilverstars.com or call (210) 444-5090.
And a side bar from me I would like to give a huge shot out to Ruth Riley, give em all you got.
Washington Wizards New Owner Smartens Up & Takes Banners Down
New Jersey Nets Are Not Impressed
New Washington Wizards owner Ted Leonsis has decided to take down banners at the Verizon Center. They however are not the Washington Wizards/Bullets either, so the 1978 NBA Championship banner isn’t going anywhere. Nope, the Washington Mystics are the chosen ones.
The Mystics have in years past raised banners honoring their attendance but Leonsis has decided that banners with real significance should be the only ones on display in the rafters and ordered them taken down.
Leonsis told arena officials that the only banners that should be displayed revolve around winning a division or conference or league championship.
Now if he could just make the Mystics disappear
Another Former NBA Player Files For Bankruptcy
Young Jezzy Tried Telling You
This hasn’t been the best of years for former NBA players when discussing their fiancees as we learned about the millions that have been lost from Antonie Walker and Derrick Coleman. Now former Detroit Pistons star Rick Mahorn has joined the group after filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
Mahorn and his wife had to file after several failed investments, a drop in value of a $500,000 Rochester Hills home they bought and efforts to repay an IRS debt. Public records show that since 2006 the IRS has filed liens for almost $214,000 in delinquent taxes against Mahorn.
Mahorn played for the Washington Bullets,Philadelphia 76ers,New Jersey Nets, and was a member of the Pistons 1989 championship team from the Bad Boys era. He also coached the WNBA’s Detroit Shock before the team relocated to Tulsa, Okla. He is currently the Pistons radio announcer.
